ALD system with innovative in situ laser ellipsometer for nanotechnological research sold to the Xi`an Jiatong University in China

SENTECH Instruments is a leading supplier of plasma process technology equipment for etching and deposition and thin film metrology instruments based on ellipsometry.

SENTECH Instruments has developed the advanced PTSA (planar triple spiral antenna) inductively coupled plasma source which provides the core plasma technology used in the ICP plasma etcher for low damage and high rate etching and which is used in the ICPECVD low temperature deposition systems. Only recently SENTECH Instruments expanded its ICPECVD processing by ALD and plasma enhanced ALD systems to be able to deposit highly conformal and dense thin metal oxide and metal layers.

The Xi`an Jiatong University in China purchased one of SENTECH`s innovative atomic layer deposition (ALD) systems. The ALD system is equipped with a SENTECH in situ laser ellipsometer and represents a unique tool to monitor and develop new atomic layer deposition processes. The SENTECH in situ laser ellipsometer used in advanced real time growth process monitoring offers excellent results especially as both tools are made by SENTECH Instruments.

The in situ ellipsometer integrated into the ALD system in Xi’an enables its users to measure film thickness and refraction index of deposited layers during processing with high time resolution. The ALD system was configured for thermal processing and plasma enhanced processing which can be incorporated in recipes without manual interference. Both processes were demonstrated by the atomic layer deposition of Al2O3.

The contact person at Xi`an Jiatong University is Mrs Ji Xing, technical assistant at the Centre of Nanomaterial for Renewable Energy. She will supervise all experiments and research activities related to the ALD system in the future. After installation and in depth technical training and introduction to processing by SENTECH technical service Mrs Xing was able to operate the ALD and the ellipsometer perfectly by herself.

Quoting Mrs. Xing saying: “ We are more than satisfied with the smooth professional work of the SENTECH technical service and SENTECH has met all of our expectations concerning the ALD system and its ellipsometer.

The excellent performance of all processes motivated Xi’an University to order additional processes for their new atomic layer deposition system and SENTECH is glad to provide application support and we are looking forward to further cooperation!